SkyNano opens new Tennessee facility for carbon management technology R&D

SkyNano (Louisville, Tenn., U.S.), a science-based technology company focused on commercializing a free-market solution to carbon pollution, celebrated its move into a 20,000-square-foot facility in Louisville, Tennessee, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this March.

This state-of-the-art facility marks a significant expansion for SkyNano as it continues to make strides in carbon management and sustainable technology. It will enable SkyNano to hire additional team members, increase its production capacity, further develop its technology and meet the growing demand for carbon-negative materials.

Since its creation in 2017, SkyNano has been located at Vanderbilt University, Innovation Crossroads at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Spark Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee Research Park. In 2022, it moved into its first location in Knoxville, and quickly outgrew it.

“The past 7 years have been a whirlwind of growth for SkyNano,” Cary Pint, co-founder and chief technology officer of SkyNano, says. “This larger, customized facility is the natural next step for SkyNano. We continue to be committed to reshaping and revolutionizing the carbon management industry.”

During the opening event, SkyNano showcased its technology scale-up with its Generation 3 device — 200 gram-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) per hour and continuous operation for carbon emission uptake. Additionally, the startup highlighted several demonstration projects, including:

• Low-embodied carbon building materials: SkyNano, Endeavor Composites and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), are working to develop a low-embodied carbon building material panel for use in non-structural building material applications.
• High-performance lithium-ion batteries: SkyNano and Eonix are developing a high-performance MWCNT/silicon-based electrode structure for long-lifetime lithium-ion battery anodes. Paired with Eonix’s novel electrolyte screening technology, Skynano has demonstrated significant improvement in cycle life compared to silicon anodes without MWCNTs and stabilized electrolytes.
• Low-embodied carbon cementitious composites: SkyNano, in partnership with Dr. Hongyu Nick Zhou’s laboratory at UTK, is developing a novel cementitious composite for defense applications in 3D printed concrete. The ability to 3D print a structure in extreme or dangerous environments helps improve warfighter capabilities and safety. With SkyNano MWCNTs, the startup is working toward in-situ defect detection to improve the quality of prints and the functional strength and properties such as EMI shielding, lightning strike protection, etc.
• High-performance, low-embodied carbon composites: The Navy is invested in lowering its operational and embodied carbon across all defense activities. SkyNano, Endeavor Composites and UTK are partnering to develop sustainable, low-embodied carbon fiber composites that don’t sacrifice the high performance required by naval applications. These are anticipated to be excellent material candidates for mass-sensitive applications such as drones and UAVs.

The new facility is at 3255 Wrights Ferry Road in Louisville, Tennessee.